Soluble Thrombomodulin Ameliorates Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury of Liver Grafts by Modulating the Proinflammatory Role of High-Mobility Group Box 1.

Transplantation using grafts obtained after cardiac death (CD) is considered a promising solution for graft shortages. However, no standard criteria for organ preservation have been established for CD donors. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a DNA-binding protein that is released from dying hepatocytes as an early mediator of inflammation and organ tissue damage. HMGB1 stimulates immunocytes to produce inflammatory cytokines, thereby amplifying the inflammatory response. Thrombomodulin is an integral membrane protein that functions as an endothelial anticoagulant cofactor, and it binds HMGB1 through the extracellular domain. We investigated the effects of ART-123, recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin, on warm ischemia-reperfusion injury in liver grafts. Male Wistar rats were divided into four ex vivo groups: heart-beating (HB) group, in which livers were isolated from HB donors; CD group, in which livers were isolated from CD donors exposed to apnea-induced conditions and warm ischemic conditions for 30 min after cardiac arrest; and two CD groups pretreated with ART-123 (1 or 5 mg/kg). Each isolated liver was reperfused for 1 h after cold preservation for 6 h. The perfusate levels of HMGB1, LDH, TNF-α, and IL-6 were significantly lower in the CD group pretreated with ART-123 (5 mg/kg) than in the CD group. Bile production was significantly higher in the CD group pretreated with ART-123 (5 mg/kg) than in the CD group. The sinusoidal spaces were significantly narrower in the CD group than in the other groups. We propose that ART-123 maintains sinusoidal microcirculation by reducing endothelial cell damage during warm ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Short Oxygenated Warm Perfusion With Prostaglandin E1 Administration Before Cold Preservation as a Novel Resuscitation Method for Liver Grafts From Donors After Cardiac Death in a Rat In Vivo Model.

BACKGROUND: We previously demonstrated that short oxygenated warm perfusion (SOWP) prevented warm ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat livers from donors after cardiac death (DCDs) in an ex vivo model. In the present study, we aimed to examine the in vivo effects of SOWP and SOWP with prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) in DCD rat liver transplants. METHODS: We performed liver transplantation after 6-hour cold preservation using grafts retrieved from DCD rats, divided into nontreatment (NT), SOWP, and SOWP with PGE1 (SOWP + PG) treatment groups. The SOWP grafts were perfused with oxygenated buffer at 37°C for 30 minutes before cold preservation. Prostaglandin E1 was added to the SOWP + PG group perfusate. Eleven liver transplants from each group were performed to evaluate graft function and survival; 5 rats were used for data collection after 1-hour reperfusion, and 6 rats were used for the survival study. As a positive control, the same experiment was performed in a heart-beating donor group. RESULTS: In both the SOWP and SOWP + PG groups, serum liver enzymes, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 levels, and cellular damage were significantly decreased compared with the NT group. In the SOWP + PG group, bile production and energy status were significantly improved compared with the NT group. The 4-week survival was 0% (0/6), 67% (4/6), 83% (5/6), and 100% (6/6) in the NT, SOWP, SOWP + PG, and heart-beating donor group, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Short oxygenated warm perfusion before cold preservation and the addition of PGE1 to SOWP were thus beneficial in an in vivo rat model.

Hepatic venous reconstruction using the superficial femoral vein in a right-lobe living donor liver transplant patient with interrupted inferior vena cava.

Anatomical abnormalities in patients with BA often include polysplenia, preduodenal portal vein, interrupted retrohepatic IVC, cardiac abnormalities, and situs inversus. In LDLT patients who had congenital vascular anomalies, additional surgical modifications for the reconstruction of hepatic venous branches are sometimes necessary to prevent venous parenchymal congestion. We report a 12-yr-old female with post-Kasai BA with interrupted retrohepatic IVC who underwent right-lobe LDLT because the left liver graft volume was insufficient. The donor right liver graft had three major hepatic branches, including the RHV, IRHV, and MHV tributary (V8). We performed hepatic venous reconstruction by creating a large, wide triple orifice consisting of the RHV and two SFVs, which were anastomosed to the V8 and IRHV using the donor's SFV as an interposition graft. In conclusion, the reconstruction of venous orifices for right-lobe LDLT patients with the absent retrohepatic IVC is can be carried out using an SFV graft derived from the living donor or the recipient.

A new liver graft preparation method for uncontrolled non-heart-beating donors, combining short oxygenated warm perfusion and prostaglandin E1.

BACKGROUND: To resolve the shortage of donors associated with liver transplantation, the potential uncontrolled non-heart-beating donor (UNHBD) pool is expected to increase. However, warm ischemia-reperfusion injury leads to inferior survival in transplantation using the grafts from UNHBD compared with those from heart-beating donors. To overcome this problem, we developed a new method for preparation of liver grafts from UNHBDs consisting of a combination of short oxygenated warm perfusion (SOWP) and prostaglandin E1 (PGE1). METHODS: Using an ex vivo perfusion rat model, we examined the effectiveness of this new method. RESULTS: Using SOWP and PGE1 treatment, the total amount of bile production during reperfusion in UNHBD grafts was increased to the same level as that in the heart-beating donor grafts. The addition of PGE1 to SOWP buffer decreased aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase and tumor necrosis factor α levels during 1 h of reperfusion. Necrosis and apoptosis were significantly decreased by SOWP + PGE1 treatment. SOWP + PGE1 ameliorated induction of mitochondrial permeability transition, and the total amount of mitochondrial cytochrome c in the SOWP + PGE1 group after reperfusion was kept significantly higher than that in the no treatment group. Cytosolic c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase activation was significantly suppressed by SOWP + PGE1. Decrease in mitochondrial Bcl-2 was suppressed by SOWP alone and SOWP + PGE1 treatment, and Bax in the mitochondria was significantly suppressed by SOWP + PGE1. CONCLUSION: SOWP and PGE1 prior to cold preservation significantly improved the function of liver grafts that underwent warm ischemia-reperfusion injury. Therefore, this method might be useful in liver transplantation using UNHBD grafts.

Intestinal obstruction caused by colonic metastasis from intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma 6 years after removal of the primary tumor: report of a case.

We report a case of intestinal obstruction caused by metastasis that manifested 6 years after surgery for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). The patient, a 57-year-old man, had undergone resection of the hepatic left lobe, Spiegel lobe, and extrahepatic bile duct, following which histopathological examination had confirmed the diagnosis of ICC and that the resection margins were free from disease. There had been no signs of recurrence until an increase in the CA19-9 level was detected 6 years later. Colonoscopy revealed an ulcer-like lesion and stenosis at the level of the hepatic flexure. The patient was subsequently admitted to our hospital with abdominal pain and underwent right hemicolectomy with partial resection of hepatic segment V. Based on the immunohistological finding that the expression pattern of cytokeratins and mucins was consistent with ICC origin rather than colon cancer origin, we diagnosed colon metastasis from ICC.

Post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder in living-donor liver transplantation: a single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: Post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a group of life-threatening complications of organ transplantation, which occurs most frequently in pediatric patients. This retrospective study evaluates a single-institution experience of five cases of PTLD after living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT). PATIENTS AND METHOD: We reviewed the records of 78 pediatric patients (<18 years old) and 54 adult patients, who underwent LDLT between July 1991 and December 2009. RESULT: PTLD was diagnosed in five pediatric patients, yielding an overall incidence of 3.8%. There were no significant differences between the pediatric patients with and those without PTLD in terms of their age, sex, reason for transplantation, calcineurin inhibitor, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) serostatus, ABO compatibility, lymphocyte cross-matching, or episodes of biopsy proven rejection. Two patients with abdominal lymphadenopathy and one with gastrointestinal PTLD responded to a reduction in immunosuppression. Treatment with rituximab was necessary for another gastrointestinal PTLD patient. Diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma was diagnosed in one patient with mediastinal and lung masses. This patient was treated with chemotherapy and rituximab, followed by surgical resection. All patients survived and no evidence of recurrence has been found since. CONCLUSION: Although PTLD is potentially life-threatening, it can be managed by appropriate and prompt treatment, with a good outcome.

Contralateral glissonian pedicle occlusion in a case of portal vein tumor thrombosis.

To dissect portal vein branches directly and encircle them separately is a common procedure that is performed to control back flow bleeding during operations for hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombosis. However, this technique has an increased risk of injuring contralateral portal branches and disseminating thrombosis fragments to the remnant liver. We present an alternative technique using right-sided glissonian pedicle occlusion for hepatocellular carcinoma with left portal vein tumor thrombosis due to complex anatomical vasculatures of the hepatic pedicle. This technique would be very useful for liver resection of hepatocellular carcinoma with the major type of portal vein tumor thrombosis.

Unique histopathological features of graft biopsies with liver function abnormalities in living donor liver transplant patients receiving basiliximab induction therapy.

Induction with basiliximab (BXM) has been confirmed as an effective treatment regimen for prophylaxis of acute cellular rejection (ACR). From 1991 to 2008, 116 living donor liver transplantations (LDLTs) were performed. Among these, 50 were included in this study. We compared calcineurin inhibitor plus steroid treatment without BXM (n = 14, control group) and with BXM (n = 36, BXM group). Although the rates of biopsied patients with abnormal serum biochemical tests (SBTs) were similar in the control (10/14, 71.4%) and BXM (21/36, 58.3%) groups, ACR was diagnosed in 9/10 (90.0%) patients in the control group compared with 4/21 (19.0%) patients in the BXM group. In accordance with the histopathological diagnosis, there was a significant difference in the ratios of peripheral CD4(+) CD25(+) T cells at five wk after LDLT between patients with and without ACR in the BXM group. Next, we divided the 32 patients without ACR in the BXM group into two groups: biopsied patients with abnormal SBTs and non-biopsied patients. The donor age of the biopsied patients was significantly higher than that of the non-biopsied patients. Induction with BXM reduced the incidence of ACR, and unique pathological phenomena responsible for graft dysfunction after LDLT with an increased incidence of abnormal SBTs were observed.

Nucleoside analogue therapy following one-year course of hepatitis B immunoglobulin in preventing hepatitis B virus reactivation after living donor liver transplantation.

The combination therapy with hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) and nucleoside analogue is well tolerated for the hepatitis B recipients after liver transplantation, but its cost is an important problem in these days. Here we report the efficacy of nucleoside analogue therapy following one-year course of HBIG plus nucleoside analogue after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Out of 103 LDLTs, we selected 14 recipients who received the post-transplant therapy against reactivation of hepatitis B virus for more than 30 months. Those were eight patients with chronic hepatitis B, three with fulminant hepatitis, and three whose donors were positive for antibody to HB core antigen (HBc). During two days after the operation, HBIG (40,000 units) was administered, and the serum level of antibody to HB surface antigen (HBs) was maintained at around 150 IU/L for one year by monthly administration of HBIG. After one year, HBIG was withdrawn. A nucleoside analogue was administered daily from just after LDLT, and it was continued up to the present. Among the 14 patients, two recipients had recurrence of hepatitis B. Three patients, including one patient with recurrence of hepatitis B, died due to hepatocellular carcinoma or its associated cirrhosis; namely, their deaths are unrelated to hepatitis B-related diseases. The remaining 11 patients are leading normal lives. In conclusion, nucleoside analogue therapy after one-year course of HBIG plus nucleoside analogue is feasible and cost-effective in preventing HBV reactivation. But the patients are still at risk of breakthrough and some patients may need continued prophylaxis with HBIG.

Long-term outcome of living related renal transplantation in a patient with short bowel syndrome.

Short-bowel syndrome (SBS) is defined as the malabsorptive state that occurs after extensive resection of the small intestine. In patients with SBS, oral administration of drugs usually becomes difficult because of the severity of intestinal failure. We describe a successful living related renal transplantation (LRRTx) in an 18-year-old male with SBS. Shortly after birth, the patient developed necrotizing enterocolitis requiring massive resection of the small intestine, which resulted in SBS. At seven years of age, the patient developed proteinuria and was diagnosed as focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). His kidney function was gradually deteriorated toward the end-stage renal failure. The patient received LRRTx at age of 18 years. To evaluate the absorption capacity of the patient, we investigated pharmacokinetics of calcineurine inhibitors (tacrolimus and cyclosporine). The drug concentration, which is sufficient to provide effective immunosuppression, was achieved with cyclosporine, but not with tacrolimus. The patient therefore received a triple immunosuppressive therapy with oral cyclosporine, methyl-prednisolone and mycophenolate mofetil. To prevent both recurrent FSGS and rejection, we repeatedly analyzed the trough level and the pharmacokinetics of cyclosporine after LRRTx. The patient was successfully treated with oral immunosuppression for over 5 years, without hemodialysis. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing the long-term outcome of LRRTx treated with oral cyclosporine in a patient with SBS.

Long-term outcome of ABO-incompatible living-donor liver transplantation: a single-center experience.

PURPOSE: We report the long-term outcome of ABO-incompatible living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) performed in our hospital. METHODS: We started the LDLT program in 1991 and from that year up to now (2008) 11 patients have received an ABO-incompatible graft. RESULTS: Nine out of the 11 cases have survived from 3.7 years to 13.9 years (mean 7.3 years) and they are in good conditions at present. Seven patients were subjected to preoperative apheresis. Eight patients experienced acute rejection and of them, 6 experienced steroid-resistant rejection that was treated with deoxyspergualin and apheresis. One patient who suffered rapidly progressing rejection died due to liver failure. Three patients who were administered rituximab did not suffer severe rejection nor adverse effects. During the long-term follow up 5 recipients had major complications such as postoperative lymphoproliferative disease, post-transplantation diabetes mellitus, portal vein occlusion and biliary stenosis. But those complications were controlled under stable conditions. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that long-term survival can be expected after ABO-incompatible LDLT provided perioperative complications such as humoral rejection are overcome.

The significance of preserving the energy status and microcirculation in liver grafts from non-heart-beating donor.

To complete a successful liver transplantation (LTx) from non-heart-beating donors (NHBD), it is necessary to both improve the energy status in liver grafts and to reduce the exposure to free radicals. This study investigated the effects of short perfusion with oxygenated buffer on the grafts prior to cold preservation. In addition, the effects of the antioxidant, biliverdin, for reduction of free radicals was investigated. Male Wistar rats were used. Livers were retrieved, preserved in UW solution, and perfused for 60 min with oxygenated Krebs-Henseleit solution. Rats were allocated to six groups as follows (n=5): (i) control group-no warm ischemia (WI) and cold preservation, (ii) HBD group--no WI with cold preservation for 6 h; (iii) NHBD group--with 30 min of WI and cold preservation, (iv) NM group--with WI including nafamostat mesilate infusion before cardiac arrest and cold preservation; (v) PRE group--with WI, 30-min pre-cold preservation perfusion with oxygenated buffer after cardiac arrest, and cold preservation, (vi) BV group-with the same treatment as the PRE group plus the addition of biliverdin to the pre-cold preservation perfusion. The portal flow volume, bile production, AST, and TNF-alpha in perfusate, energy charge (EC), and ATP level in the tissue, and histological findings were investigated. The portal flow volume in the NM, PRE, and BV groups were higher than in the NHBD group. The bile production in the PRE and BV groups were also higher than in the NHBD group. The EC and ATP level of the BV group after reperfusion were higher than those of the NHBD group. Pre-cold preservation perfusion and addition of biliverdin to perfusate improved viability of grafts from NHBD. The results indicate that the preservation of the energy status and microcirculation of the graft is important for successful LTx from NHBD.

Management of anti-allogeneic antibody elimination by apheresis in living donor liver transplantation.

In this study, we report on the indications and efficacy of the elimination of antiallogeneic antibodies in living donor liver transplant recipients. Seven patients incompatible with the ABO-blood type were subjected to apheresis before transplantation. The procedure resulted in titers being decreased to less than a score of 8. After transplantation, apheresis was also performed in 6 cases and continuous hemodiafiltration in 1 case. In addition, three out of 11 ABO-blood type incompatible recipients were administered anti-CD20 antibody (rituximab). Two crossmatch positive patients were subjected to apheresis before transplantation, and in these cases the titers were reduced to less than a score of 2. Moreover, these two patients had no acute rejections after transplantation. We concluded that apheresis is effective for preventing acute rejection induced by pre-existing anti-A and/or anti-B antibodies, as well as antidonor specific antibodies, but is not effective in some patients who had accelerated humoral rejection.

Long-term outcome after living donor liver transplantation for two cases of homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia from a heterozygous donor.

AIM: We experienced two pediatric siblings with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) who received living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) from their parents who were heterozygous for FH. METHODS: The elder brother presented orange cutaneous xanthomas and was diagnosed as homozygous FH at the age of one. The plasma lipid profile showed that his total cholesterol level was 898 mg/dL (23.2 mmol/L), LDL cholesterol level was 756 mg/dL (19.6 mmol/L) and triglyceride level was 60 mg/dL (0.7 mmol/L). There were no living donors with a normal LDL receptor in their family, and it was difficult to find a deceased donor in Japan; thus he underwent LDLT with his father as the donor. His sister was born 2 years after his LDLT. She underwent ABO-incompatible LDLT at the age of 2 with her mother as the donor. RESULTS: The boy's liver function tests normalized immediately after transplantation, and his cholesterol has remained controlled at around 280 mg/dL (7.2 mmol/L), with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor for 6 years after LDLT. The girl's cholesterol remained stable at around 280 mg/dL (7.2 mmol/L) under treatment with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor two years after LDLT. At present, the four patients, including the two donors, are leading normal daily lives. CONCLUSION: Living-donor liver transplantation from a donor with heterozygous FH is a feasible indication for the treatment of homozygous FH.

Usefulness of beta-D glucan in diagnosing Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and monitoring its treatment in a living-donor liver-transplant recipient.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is one of the fatal complications encountered after liver transplantation. The diagnosis of PCP is sometimes very difficult, because detection of the bacteria itself is not easy under some conditions, and the serum level of the chemical mediator is not yet considered to be a definitive diagnostic marker. We report a case of PCP that occurred 3 months after transplantation in a living-donor liver-transplant recipient; the disease developed during the course of outpatient follow-up when the patient's condition was stable. The patient was maintained with the usual level of immunosuppressants, using tacrolimus, steroid, and mycophenolate mofetil. The patient had a dry cough with mild fever, and a chest computed tomography (CT) scan showed a reticular shadow in the left lung field. The plasma level of beta-D: glucan was high (135 pg/ml). We suspected an invasive fungal infection, but no pathogen was detected by routine fungal culture and cytology. Finally, P. carinii was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and we started treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) combined with an antifungal agent. During this period, the level of beta-D: glucan correlated with the patient's clinical symptoms; this marker was very useful for monitoring the treatment of PCP in this living-donor liver-transplant recipient.

Development of a novel ELISA for detection of anti-A and anti-B antibodies in recipients of ABO-incompatible living donor liver grafts.

The survival rate in ABO-incompatible (ABO-I) liver transplantation was much lower than that in ABO-compatible recipients for the early experiences. It is therefore essential to develop the precise and fast measurement of anti-A and anti-B antibodies (Abs) to prevent humoral rejection in ABO-I liver transplantation. Agglutination titer has been the standard method to measure these Abs, but the interpretation of the results is subject to bias. Here, we have developed an objective and quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to measure anti-A and anti-B Abs. This test requires only a small amount (10 microl) of recipient's serum. We applied the newly developed ELISA to monitor living donor liver transplant recipients and investigated the correlation between ELISA and agglutination titer. The Spearman's correlation coefficient for Abs ranged from 0.461 to 0.812. Moreover, in one case of humoral rejection, the increase of Abs was detected by ELISA one day earlier than by the agglutination titer. In conclusion, our ELISA method proved useful to detect an increase of anti-A and anti-B Abs titers at an early stage, thereby contributing to a prompt treatment of humoral rejection due to ABO-I.

Steroid-resistant late acute rejection after a living donor liver transplantation: case report and review of the literature.

The majority of acute cellular rejection occurs in the first few months after liver transplantation. It has been, however, reported that some recipients experience late acute rejection, which occurs more than 3 months after transplantation. We herein report a case of late acute rejection that occurred nearly 10 years after liver transplantation. The patient is a 27-year-old male who underwent a living donor liver transplantation when he was 17 years old. At 9 years 6 months after transplantation, the patient presented with the elevated serum levels of liver enzymes and total bilirubin. A liver biopsy showed acute cellular rejection. Steroid bolus therapy was not effective, but we successfully used deoxyspergualin as a rescue therapy. Late acute cellular rejection that occurs nearly 10 years after transplantation has so far been rarely reported. It is generally believed that late acute rejection may be more resistant to treatment and be associated with a higher rate of graft loss, as well being associated with the development of chronic ductopenic rejection. In this report, we have shown that deoxyspergualin is safe and effective for treatment of steroid-resistant late acute rejection, preventing from graft loss of chronic rejection.

Obstructive jaundice caused by biliary stone formation around the stent after liver transplantation.

We report an unusual case of obstructive jaundice caused by a biliary stone, which developed in the stump of a Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy after undergoing LT. The patient was a 13-yr-old male. At 74 days after birth, a hepaticojejunostomy (Kasai's procedure) was performed for the treatment of biliary atresia. He underwent a reduced size deceased donor LT in the left subphrenic space twice at the age of one and three years in Australia. Eleven years after his second LT, he developed liver dysfunction and jaundice with a low grade fever. Computed tomography showed a marked jejunal loop enlargement by a rugby ball-shaped stone and the bile duct in the graft was thus dilated. A surgical exploration revealed the jejunal loop to be bent sharply while its stump side was dilated by stagnated bile including a biliary stone. The stone included a stent that had been previously used for the hepaticojejunostomy. This case suggests that a retained stent used for hepaticojejunostomy had thus caused biliary stone formation because of a combination of various conditions in the jejunal loop.

Risk factors and impact of beta-D glucan on invasive fungal infection for the living donor liver transplant recipients.

Invasive fungal infection is a fatal complication in liver transplantation and it is very difficult to diagnose at the early stage. The aim of this study was to review our experience with invasive fungal infections in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) and to analyze the risk factors and the impact of beta-D glucan. From 1991 to 2005, 96 LDLTs were performed in our institution and we measured the serum level of beta-D glucan in order to clarify the diagnosis. Invasive fungal infection was diagnosed based on clinical symptoms, culture, radiological evidence and beta-D glucan. Active fungal infection was treated with fluconazole, amphotericin B, flucytosine and micafungin. Risk factors both pre- and post- LDLT were analyzed. Candida albicans was the most frequently isolated species (70%). The risk factors identified by univariate analysis include the following four conditions: acute blood purification (plasma exchange with or without continuous hemodiafiltration), hepatic vein complications, renal failure and respiratory failure. By logistic regression analysis, hepatic vein complications and respiratory failure were identified as independent risk factors. The risk factors for invasive fungal infection of LDLT in Japan have not been well analyzed and this report will provide valuable information for the prevention of the fungal infection.